Al-Baqarah

al-Baqarah ("the Heifer") is the second surah of the Quran, following al-Fatiha and preceding al-Imran. It was revealed to Muhammad at Medina after the Hijra, and it is the longest chapter in the Quran. It begins with a statement that the Quran is a guide for those who are devout worshippers of God and those who rightfully follow him. It also warns that, for the infidels who are bent on denying the truth, God had already sealed their hearts and ears and covered their eyes, that they would never be able to believe, and that they would be terribly punished. It also warns Muslims that there are some who claim to believe in God and the Last Day, yet do not believe and instead cause corruption throughout the land, as they unwittingly deceive themselves. Muhammad instructs the people to worship their God and not knowingly set up rivals to him; he also says that God uses parables to guide many, while the disobedient go astray. al-Baqarah then tells the story of Adam, whom God instructed to tell him the names of all of the angels. After Adam did so, knowing what God had taught him, God told the angels that he knew the secrets of the heavens and of the Earth, and that he knew what they revealed and concealed. When God told the angels to bow down before Adam, only Iblis refused, acting proudly and becoming an unbeliever. God let Adam live with his wife Eve in Paradise and eat freely from any tree apart from the forbidden tree, but Iblis caused them both to slip through and eat from the tree, bringing about the loss of their former state. God condemned them to go to Earth as enemies to each other, and Adam was said to receive words of prayer from God and accept his repentance. God then calls on the children of Israel (the Jews) to believe in the message he had sent down to Muhammad, to not mix truth with falsehood or hide the truth, to attend to their prayers, to give the zakat (prescribed alms), and bow down with others who bowed down. God asks for the children of Israel to remember the various blessings he bestowed upon them, including the Exodus, the giving of the Scripture to Moses, and the conquest of Canaan. God then said that the believers, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabaeans who believed in God and did good deeds would be rewarded by God, have no fear, and would not grieve. The title of the surah comes from the anecdote of how God commanded Moses to have the Israelites sacrifice a heifer, upon which the Jews asked if he was mocking them. The people asked Moses to have God tell them what kind of heifer it should be, and Moses answered that it would be one neither too old nor too young. The people then asked Moses to show them what color the coow should be, and Moses said to sacrifice a bright yellow heifer. They then asked Moses to make it clear to them what exact type of heifer it should be, as all cows looked alike to them. Moses told them that it should be a heifer which is free from blemish, and the people were convinced by Moses' words, sacrificing the heifer. The parable makes clear that God shows the people his signs so that they may understand. al-Baqarah criticizes those who write the scripture, claim it's from God, and then sell it for a paltry price. It also mentions how God sent a succession of messengers after Moses, including Jesus, who was strengthened with the Holy Spirit.